GIRLS BASKETBALL: Greencastle-Antrim cruises past Carlisle in finale

GREENCASTLE — It was a fitting conclusion to the first chapter of this team's promising journey.

The Greencastle-Antrim girls' basketball team wrapped up its season in dominant fashion Wednesday night, cruising past visiting Carlisle 65-31.

With the win, the Blue Devils finished the season at .500, boasting a final overall record of 11-11. Considering all five starters are expected to return next year, paired with some up-and-coming talent, the future certainly appears bright for G-A.

"It feels great to end on a positive note," G-A head coach Mike Rhine said. "We have been through a lot this year and I'm so proud of the way these girls performed. This is only the beginning for us and we're excited about what's to come."

Despite not having a single senior on the roster, the Blue Devils looked like a veteran group on Wednesday, utilizing textbook ball movement to get open shots while pressuring the Thundering Herd into numerous mistakes defensively, as evident by Carlisle's 22 turnovers.

G-A wasted little time setting the tempo, as seven straight points from Chloe Hoover granted the Blue Devils a 9-0 advantage off the tip.

A comfortable margin remained intact throughout the first half, with G-A leading 25-16 heading into the locker room before outscoring Carlisle 40-15 over the closing two quarters.

The trio of Hoover, Jane Herman and Katie Gelsinger collectively caught fire, accounting for 33 points in the second half, having their way from both the perimeter and in the paint.

Leading by 18 entering the fourth, G-A opened the frame on a 20-3 run, with back-to-back 3-pointers from Herman giving the Blue Devils their largest lead of the game at 61-26, allowing Rhine to empty the bench with three minutes remaining.

"We were getting the shots we wanted, both down low and along the perimeter," Rhine explained. "Defensively, we were flying around and attacking the glass. It was just a great, all-around performance."

Hoover capped her sensational junior season with another stellar outing, posting a double-double with a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds.

"You just can't say enough good things about Chloe," Rhine said. "I couldn't ask for a better team captain and I'm very happy to have her back next year."

Gelsinger followed with 17 points and seven rebounds while Herman added 16, including four 3's.

Megan Bisker led Carlisle, finishing with a team-high 10 points in the loss.

G-A also won Wednesday's junior varsity game, 23-18.

Erin Bontrager netted eight points for the Blue Devils to go along with seven from Allie Moats.